Star-Crossed(42)

“Yeah, but I can give excellent advice, and I got a buddy over in Eastwind who’s really great. He owes me a favor.” Jules studied him curiously. “You don’t seem that drunk to me.”



108



Terry shrugged. “That thing the sheriff had me blow in said I was drunk enough. I knew I shouldn’t have driven. I just needed to get out, and walking home wasn’t a great plan.”

“How’d you wreck your car?”

“A damn possum ran out in front of me.” Terry sighed. “I should’ve just hit it instead of swerve.”

“I’m gonna beat my brother for this if that makes ya feel better.”

“Not really.” Terry’s shoulders slumped. “Sometimes, Jules, I really hate being me.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Jules said quickly. “You’re a good person, one of the best we got in this town. Shoot, ya gave Melody money and a place to stay when she had nothing. You organize the food bank charities every Thanksgiving and Christmas. You give the school money in the spring to start their garden and—”

“What’d you think the school and everyone else would think if they knew what I really was?”

“You make it sound like you’re a vampire or something,” Jules said with a frown.

“There ain’t nothing wrong with you, Terry.”

“Yeah, well, you tell that to most of this town,” Terry said with a bark of laughter.

“I get mad at him for wanting to keep it secret, but ya know, he’s right. It’d ruin both of us if it got out.”

“I know and I still love ya,” Jules argued. “Wyatt knows, and it ain’t a big deal to him.”

“Wyatt just arrested me,” Terry reminded her.

“Not for being gay.”

“Maybe I should just leave. Get out and start over. Move to the city.”

“You can’t do that!” Jules said in horror. “I’d miss ya. We’d all miss ya.”

109

“I’m gonna die one day, and no one’s gonna know I spent most of my life loving someone,” Terry said miserably. “They’re gonna think I wasted all my days. Do you know how that makes me feel?”

“I do, actually,” Jules whispered, feeling tears stinging her eyes. “The only difference between you and me is you got someone to actually love. Even if it’s in secret, at least you still got it, and if you don’t start appreciating it, I’m gonna beat you instead of Wyatt.”

A soft chuckle escaped Terry despite the dire situation. “You're beautiful, Jules, and a good person besides. You’ll find someone to love. I promise.”

“I dunno.” Jules huffed, feeling her cell phone in her pocket like a lead weight.

“Love’s kinda complicated. Maybe I’d be better off without it.”

“Maybe,” Terry said, giving her a sidelong look. “It sure ain’t easy, I’ll tell ya that.”

Jules stretched out her hand to him, and Terry slid over on the bench until he could reach her. He squeezed her palm in his and then bent down, pressing his forehead against their intertwined fingers. He looked sad and beaten by life, which was all wrong for Terry.

She turned her head, rested her cheek against the bars, and looked down the hallway. Wyatt was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he considered them.

“I need to head out.” Wyatt sighed.

“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”

“You got the dispatch?”

“Don’t I always?” Jules asked with a glare. “I’ll be there in a second.”

“Fine.” Wyatt pushed away from the wall. “Make Terry disappear before one of the deputies sees him. File’s on my desk. I didn’t put it into the computer yet.” Jules gave him a beaming smile. “Really?”



110



Wyatt turned around to leave rather than respond, and Jules untangled her hand from Terry’s to run after him. She jumped up and tackled him before he could get to his office. He stumbled from the force of her enthusiasm and then straightened with Jules wrapped around his back, her heavy black boots digging into his stomach and her arms tight around his neck.

“I love you, Wy Wy.” Jules kissed his cheek. “Thank you!”

“Yeah, you love me when you’re getting your way,” Wyatt said, sounding unmoved.

“I love you always,” she argued, kissing him again and ruffling his hair. “You’re not a pig. You just play one for the masses.”

“Okay,” Wyatt said drily. “Dontcha got some phone calls to make?” She tightened her arms around his neck once more. “Say you love me too.”